1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-pin electrical connector including anti-resonant planar capacitors. Specifically, the present invention is directed to an electrical connector including high voltage capacitors for bypassing any unwanted signals such as high frequency transients from any of the individual pins of the connector to ground, while allowing the passage of wanted signals through the individual pins of the connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the electrical and electronics fields it is often desirable to couple together various pieces of equipment using cables including connectors attached to the ends of the cables. For example, such interconnecting cables and connectors are used in the telephone field such as for interconnecting various pieces of PBX equipment. Also, such cables and connectors are used in the computer field again for interconnecting various pieces of equipment such as the connection of peripherals to computers. In general, it is desirable for any transient signals such as high frequency transients to be eliminated from the interconnecting cables and connectors. This insures that such transient signals are not passed through the connectors to thereby affect the operation of the equipment.
In order to eliminate such transient signals, various types of filters have been used in the prior art. Specifically, it is desirable to provide filters at the input/output "I/O" connections for equipment used in the telecommunication and computer industry and specifically to provide the filters at the connectors which interconnect with the cables which provide electrical connection between various pieces of equipment. In order for these filters to operate properly, the filters should (1) be individually coupled to each pin in the I/O connector, (2) should have sufficient capacitance to bypass the unwanted signals and (3) should have sufficient voltage capability to not break down and thereby short out the pin. Prior art filters for I/O connectors in the telecommunication and computer industry have been lacking in one or more of the above characteristics. Specifically, these filters would not have sufficient high voltage capability and would thereby break down and/or the filters would not have sufficient capacitance to bypass all of the unwanted signals. Other difficulties with the prior art filters are that they were often cumbersome in construction and were thereby difficult to incorporate into existing I/O connectors.